Nangarhar’s first farm set to start yielding dates this season

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): An eight-hectare farm in eastern Nangarhar province is all poised to start producing dates next year, an official said on Monday.

The farm having 4,000 date saplings, provided Saudi Arabia, was set up eight years back. It was expected to start yielding dates in four years, but the target was not met due to lack of inputs and other resources.

Eng. Ghulam Hazrat Abdul Rahimzai, canalisation department head, said individuals had been appointed to maintain the orchard and ensure fruit yield in the coming season.

He said the farm had turned into a forest as it was paid no attention. However, the official hoped the trees would start producing dates this year as a result of proper maintenance and management.

Abdul Qayyum Atrafi, the newly-appointed head of the orchard, said they had stepped up farm management and hoped for a quality date yield this season.

He estimated two tonnes of dates would be collected from the farm. He promised saplings would be distributed to other eastern provinces of the country as well.

The official said 1,300 saplings had been lost to lack of care and currently 2,700 trees existed in the orchard.

About the delay in the trees yielding dates, he said proper attention was not paid during plantation and growth of saplings.

Farmers’ inadequate experience and resources also contributed to the delayed date production. Atrafi said they had ordinary equipment while modern machinery was needed to take care of the farm.

He asked the government to pay attention to the farm because its yield would help boost the country’s economy and would ultimately make Afghanistan self-sufficient in date consumption.